Pages

Friday, August 31, 2012

Guv to decide on Gujarat minister’s prosecution: HC

In a setback to the state government, the Gujarat High Court on Friday
ordered that Governor Kamla Beniwal will take the final decision on whether
Fisheries Minister Purushottam Solanki can be prosecuted in a Rs 400-crore
fishing contracts scam.
The court rejected the contempt petition against Narendra Modi and his
Cabinet but pulled up the government over the manner in which it handled the
issue.
The government had reportedly refused to sanction Solanki’s prosecution on
June 29. On Friday, the HC directed it to forward all the records pertaining to
the denial of Solanki’s prosecution to Beniwal within a week, who would then
take a decision within two weeks.
Representing the government, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi told the court
that CoM’s decision not to sanction Solanki’s prosecution was conveyed to the
Governor and, so far, she has not taken any decision.
The contempt plea was filed by Ishaq Maradia, who is also the complainant in
the case. “The government was caught mid-way. My client was informed by the
state that a final decision has already been taken. Only when we approached the
court they backtracked and informed the court that a final decision is yet to
come from the Governor,” said Maradia’s counsel Mukul Sinha.
He said the government should have informed Maradia that the matter is at
such a stage at present.

Teesta Setalvad

Teesta Setalvad is an educationist, journalist and human rights activist who has been committed to an egalitarian and diverse India, at the forefront of the struggle for justice equality and non discrimination. She co edits Communalism Combat heads and directs Education for a Plural India programme and is Secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace. CJP is a Mumbai based trust committed to accountability, transparency and punishment to perpetrators of mass crimes within Indian democracy.